London Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus: Big Bus Tours
The London sightseeing bus is one of the best ways to see the highlights of the British capital and the advantage is that the bus ticket includes a cruise on the Thames.
Riding the London tourist bus is something that I always recommend if you are going to visit London for a few days, especially if it is your first visit, since it passes through the most important places in the city and will help you locate the most interesting streets and monuments in the map and thus be able to visit them later calmly.
What will you find in this article?
- London Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Big Bus Tours: The Most Important Thing You Need to Know
- London tourist bus prices
- 1 Day Classic Ticket
- 2-Day Premium Ticket
- 3-Day Deluxe Ticket
- Night Tour Ticket
- Big Bus Tours Christmas Day Special Ticket
- Combined Offers “Hop-On Hop-Off + Attraction”
- Tourist Bus Tickets + London Eye
- Tourist Bus Tickets + Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
- Tickets Tourist Bus + Tower of London
- Tourist Bus Tickets + St. Paul’s Cathedral
- London Hop on Hop off bus route
- London Hop-On, Hop-Off Itinerary: Stops
- Free Cruise on the Thames when you buy your Tourist Bus ticket
- Free guided walking tour with your Big Bus hop-on hop-off tickets
Big Bus Tours London Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus: The Most Important Things You Need to Know
After many of you have asked us if it is worth taking the London tourist bus, we have prepared a list with the most important things that it includes. In our opinion, it is a good way to see the best monuments and buildings in the city in an easy way and without wasting much time, so that later you can focus on visiting what interests you the most.
- You can get on and off as many times as you want during the day on all its routes, so you will spend less on public transport during your trip.
- All hop-on, hop-off tickets are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase, so you don’t have to redeem them on a particular day. This is great, since you can do the tour on the day that suits you best.
- The ticket includes a sightseeing cruise on the Thames.
- They give you a free guided walking tour of London (More details below).
- They have recorded commentary in Spanish during the trip and they give you free headphones.
- They give you a discount booklet for other London attractions and restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe.
- They have the largest fleet of open top buses in London so they run more frequently than other tour buses.
London sightseeing bus prices
There are 3 different types of London Big Bus Tours Tickets: Classic , Premium and Deluxe . Each of them has 3 different prices: a price for Adults, a price for Children (from 5 to 15 years old) and Families (2 adults + 2 children under 15 years old). For the family ticket, it doesn’t matter if it’s two women with two children, or two men with two children – it’s a question that we get asked a lot!
Here we leave you all the details of each type of ticket and what each of them includes.
1 Day Classic Ticket
The Classic ticket lasts for 1 calendar day (not 24 hours) and includes access to all tourist bus routes, being able to get on and off as many times as you want at any Big Bus stop. It also includes the cruise on the River Thames (One Way) and Guided Walking Tour (in English).
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 35 Pounds | 26 Pounds | 106.70 Pounds |
2-Day Premium Ticket
The Premium ticket lasts for 2 calendar days (which must be used on consecutive days) and includes access to all London tourist bus routes, being able to get on and off as many times as you want at the different Big Bus stops in London. Also includes River Thames Cruise (Round Trip) and Guided Walking Tour (in English).
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 40.40 Pounds | 31.40 Pounds | 124.60 Pounds |
3 Day Deluxe Ticket
The Deluxe ticket has a duration of 3 calendar days so that you can enjoy all the routes of the tourist bus if you are planning to stay more days in London, being able to get on and off as many times as you want during the three days. Also included is the River Thames Cruise (Round Trip) and Guided Walking Tour (in English).
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 44.90 Pounds | 35.90 Pounds | 139.60 Pounds |
Night Tour Ticket
The ticket for the Night Tour will be available during the summer months of 2020. The Night Tour takes a circular route through London, not being able to get on and off the bus. This ticket does not include the sightseeing cruise or the guided walking tour.
You can board the Night Tour at three different stops at specific times:
- At the London Eye (stop no. 12) at 7:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
- In Victoria (stop no. 22) at 7:45 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.
- At Marble Arch (stop no. 4) at 8:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 24.90 Pounds | 15.00 Pounds | 64.80 Pounds |
Special ticket Christmas Day Big Bus Tours
On Christmas Day there is a Special Tour available which is basically a route similar to Big Bus Tours’ Red Route but with some modifications to allow you to see the best Christmas lights in London.
It will operate from 9 am to 4 pm, and there will be no live commentary but there will be recordings with explanations. The ticket will be valid for the days 25 and 26 December, including the cruise on the Thames and the guided walking tour that will be available on 26 December.
Combined offers “Hop-On Hop-Off + Attraction”
There is also the possibility to buy London Big Bus tourist bus tickets along with tickets to other London attractions through the official website. It’s a good way to save money if you plan to ride the London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus and enter some of the more attractions, as buying the combined tickets can save quite a bit than buying the tickets separately.
You just have to print the proof of purchase that they send you by email and take it with you on the day you go on the tour. You will be able to redeem the tickets by handing in the proof of purchase to any Big Bus agent, either on the street or on the buses themselves (either the driver or the assistant at the door). When exchanging the tickets, you will be given the tickets for the tourist bus and the tickets for the attraction you have chosen (London Eye, Wax Museum, etc…).
Tourist Bus Tickets + London Eye
This combination of tickets includes the classic tourist bus ticket, which lasts for 1 day and a ticket to get on the London Eye. Once you have redeemed this ticket at one of the Big Bus bus stops, you must board the tourist bus and take the Thames cruise that same day. With this ticket you will have access to all the different routes of the tourist bus, being able to get on and off as many times as you want at any Big Bus stop. You will have 90 days to use the ticket to ride the London Eye without having to queue.
This ticket also includes the River Thames Cruise (One Way) and the Guided Walking Tour (in English).
When buying these combined tickets, you can choose between buying preferential entrance to the London Eye (fast-track option, without queues) or standard entrance, for which you will have to join the queue to get on the London Eye.
Option 1: 1-Day Classic Ticket + Priority London Eye (skip the line)
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 67.80 Pounds | 58.80 Pounds | 227.30 Pounds |
Option 2: 1-Day Classic Ticket + London Eye Standard Ticket
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 64.80 Pounds | 47.90 Pounds | 200.40 Pounds |
Tourist Bus Tickets + Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
This combination includes a classic ticket (1 day) for the tourist bus, with access to all tourist bus routes, being able to get on and off as many times as you want at any Big Bus stop. You will have 90 days from when you redeem the tickets to visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.
This ticket also includes the River Thames Cruise (One Way) and the Guided Walking Tour (in English).
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) | Family (2 adults + 2 Children) |
|---|---|---|
| 65.80 Pounds | 52.80 Pounds | 211.40 Pounds |
Tickets Tourist Bus + Tower of London
When choosing the Hop-On, Hop-Off + Tower of London ticket combination, you can choose between 1 (classic), 2 (premium) or 3 (deluxe) day hop-on, hop-off tickets. Regardless of whether you buy tickets for 1, 2 or 3 days, you will have access to all routes of the tourist bus and can hop on and off as many times as you want at any Big Bus stop.
Afterwards, you will have 3 days from when you exchange your tickets to visit the Tower of London.
This ticket also includes the River Thames Cruise (One Way) and the Guided Walking Tour.
Option 1: 1-Day Classic Ticket + Tower of London
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) |
|---|---|
| 61.80 Pounds | 38.90 Pounds |
Option 2: 2-day Premium Ticket + Tower of London
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) |
|---|---|
| 67.80 Pounds | 43.90 Pounds |
Option 1: 3-Day Deluxe Ticket + Tower of London
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) |
|---|---|
| 71.80 Pounds | 48.90 Pounds |
Tourist Bus Tickets + St. Paul’s Cathedral
When choosing the Hop-On, Hop-Off + St. Paul’s Cathedral combination, you can choose between 1 (classic), 2 (premium) or 3 (deluxe) day hop-on hop-off tickets. Regardless of whether you buy tickets for 1, 2 or 3 days, you will have access to all routes of the tourist bus and can hop on and off as many times as you want at any Big Bus stop.
After that, you will have 90 days from when you exchange your tickets to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral.
This ticket also includes the River Thames Cruise (One Way) and the Guided Walking Tour.
Option 1: 1-Day Classic Ticket + St. Paul’s Cathedral
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) |
|---|---|
| 53.80 Pounds | 33.90 Pounds |
Option 2: 2-day Premium Ticket + St. Paul’s Cathedral
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) |
|---|---|
| 58.80 Pounds | 38.90 Pounds |
Option 1: 3-day Deluxe Ticket + St. Paul’s Cathedral
| Adults | Children (5 – 15 Years) |
|---|---|
| 63.80 Pounds | 38.90 Pounds |
London Hop on Hop off bus route
As for the tour of the London tourist bus, Big Bus Tours has 3 different routes, and you can get on and off as many times at the different stops of each route as you want, thus being able to combine the different routes as you wish and thus ensure that you see everything that interests you.
You can start the Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour at any stop on any route – you simply need to redeem the tickets the first time you ride, so you need to give the driver the proof of purchase you receive by email and he will give you the corresponding tickets that you can use during the days you have chosen. When exchanging the tickets you will receive a map with the different routes and main points of interest in London and headphones to listen to the explanations that are recordings available in several languages.
1. Red Route: Classic Red Tour
The first bus on this route leaves at 8.00am from the door of Green Park tube station on Piccadilly Street and there are buses approximately every 5 minutes. This route is the Classic Tour, a route that passes through 15 of the most important tourist places in London, including Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Big Ben, Covent Garden, the Tower of London and Saint Paul’s Cathedral among others. The red route includes live commentary in English, in addition to recordings that can be heard in various languages.
London Hop on Hop off Stops
The red route takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to complete the entire route, and has several stops in common with the blue route, which are stops 2 to 5, 7 to 11 and stop 15. It also connects with the green route at stop 9.
2. Blue Route: Big Blue Tour
The first bus on the blue route leaves at 8.36am from stop 2, located at Hyde Park Corner, and there are buses approximately every 5 to 10 minutes. The closest subway stop is Green Park. The blue route takes a slightly longer route, and coincides at almost all the stops with the red route but also goes around Hyde Park, passing through the South Kensington area, where the natural history museums, science museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. It also passes through the door of Harrods and goes up to Regent’s Park with a stop at Baker Street, where the Sherlock Holmes museum and Madame Tussauds wax museum are located. On the blue route you can listen to the explanations in a recording available in different languages.
Blue route Hop on Hop off Stops
The blue route takes almost 3 hours to complete the route and coincides with the red route at stops 2 to 5, 7 to 11 and stop 15. It also connects with the green route at stop 9.
3. Green Route: Green Link
The green route is very short and connects the famous Trafalgar Square with the King’s Cross and St Pancras underground and train stations, passing by the British Museum. If you are going to spend a day in London and arrive at King’s Cross – St Pancras station we usually recommend that you use the tourist bus, since you can start the route here, change at Trafalgar Square to another route and see London easily by bus tourist (as well as doing the Thames cruise) before returning to King’s Cross with the green route.
Green route Hop on Hop off Stops
The first green route bus leaves from stop 9 Covent Garden at 8.20am, where it also links to the blue and red routes.
London Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Stops
Below you will find the stops of the three available routes of the Big Bus tourist bus in London. Guide: Red Route, Blue Route and Green Route.
- Green Park – Outside The Green Park Subway Station, Next To The Ritz Hotel
- Hyde Park Corner – Right In Front Of The Hard Rock Cafe
- Queen Mother Gates – On The Other Side Of The Hilton Hotel
- Marble Arch – Off Speakers’ Corner In Hyde Park
- Mayfair – Big Bus Stop On Park Lane
- Royal Mews – Bus Stop At 31 Buckingham Palace Road
- London Eye – Westminster Bridge Road Bus Stop
- Waterloo – York Road Bus Stop
- Covent Garden – Big Bus Stop At No.1 Aldwych
- St Paul’s Cathedral – Bus Stop At 26 Ludgate Hill
- Tower Of London – Bus Stop At 362 Tower Hill
- York Road – Westminster Bridge Road
- Whitehall – Big Bus Stop In Front Of Horseguards
- Trafalgar Square – Z Bus Stop On Pall Mall East
- Baker Street – Big Bus Stop At 9 Marylebone Road
- Oxford Street – Rf Bus Stop At Regent Street
- Regent Street – V Bus Stop At Regent Street
- Piccadilly Circus – Bus Stop G At Regent Street
- Haymarket – Big Bus Stop At 11 Haymarket **the Blue Route After Stopping At Stop 20 Makes A Stop At Stop Number 15 At Trafalgar Square, Where It Meets The Red Route**
- Craig’s Court – Stop Located On The Corner Of Craig’s Court And Whitehall
- Whitehall – Bus Stop At 61 Whitehall **the Blue Route After Stopping At Stop 22 Coincides With The Following Stops On The Red Route: 7, 8, 9, 10 And 11**
- Westminster Pier – Stop At 30-35 Victoria Embankment
- Lambeth Place – Stop At Lambeth Palace Road
- College Green – Stop At Abingdon Street
- Tothill Street – At 43-45 Tothill Street
- Buckingham Palace – At 1 Buckingham Gate
- Ruben’s Hotel – Stop At 39 Buckingham Palace Road
- Victoria – Stop In Front Of The Bag Of Nails Pub
- Victoria Station – Stop At 111 Buckingham Palace Road ** The Blue Route After Stopping At Stop 30 Coincides With The Following Stops On The Red Route: 3, 4 And 5 **
- Green Park – Stop In Front Of Green Park Tube Station **the Blue Route After Stopping At Stop 31 Coincides At Stop 2 With The Red Route**
- Hyde Park Corner – Stop At 1 Knightsbridge
- Harrods – Stop At Harrods Door, 87-135 Brompton Road
- South Kensignton Museums – Stop At 6 Thurloe Place
- Gloucester Road – Stop At 128 Gloucester Road
- Kensington Palace – Stop At 5 Kensington High Street
- Notting Hill Gate – Stop At 14 Notting Hill Gate
- Kensington Gardens – Stop At 150 Bayswater Road
- Thistle Hotel – Stop At 104 Bayswater Road
- Bayswater – Stop At Bayswater Road
- Paddington Station – Stop At 25 London St
- Woburn – In Front Of The Royal National Hotel
- Euston Station – At Stop L, Upper Woburn Place
- King’s Cross Station – Stop At Pancras Way
- T. Pancras Station – Stop On Midland Road
- Euston Road – Stop M, Upper Woburn Place
- Woburn (Southbound) – At Stop J, In Front Of Russel Court
- British Museum (Southbound) – At Stop X, Southampton Row
- Duncannon Street – At Stop G, Duncannon Street
Free Cruise on the Thames when you buy your Tourist Bus ticket
When you buy the tickets for the tourist bus in London, they give you a free cruise on the Thames, and taking a cruise on the Thames is something that I consider essential if you are going to visit London and especially if it is your first time, since from the Thames you will be able to see many of London’s most famous attractions and take some perfect photos.
The Hop-On Hop-Off Classic 1-Day Ticket includes a one-way Thames Cruise ticket from Westminster Pier (next to Big Ben) and the Tower of London (or vice versa). If you have a ticket for the tourist bus for one day, you must take the cruise on the same day you use the tourist bus, but don’t worry because there is enough time for everything in one day.
Tourist bus tickets for 2 and 3 days (Premium and Deluxe) include a round trip ticket for the cruise, being able to get on and off the cruise. If you have a multi-day ticket for the tourist bus, you must take the cruise within the period of those days that the tourist bus tickets are valid.
Schedules and what you will find on board
A boat leaves approximately every 40 minutes from each pier I’ve mentioned above, and the cruise from Big Ben to the Tower of London takes about half an hour.
It is a panoramic boat with an outdoor area. They have headphones to listen to the explanations in different languages, and there is a cafeteria and toilets on board.
Free guided walking tour with your Big Bus hop-on hop-off tickets
When buying your tickets for the London tourist bus, you will also have the possibility to join the Guided Walking Tour that they offer every day for free through different areas of London. The route takes approximately 1.5 hours and starts at the Big Bus stop in Trafalgar Square at 11.00am (stop number 6 on your map). The guides are English-speaking and you will recognize them because they are wearing a jacket with the logo of Sandeman’s, the company that organizes them.
Royal London Guided Walking Tour – 11:00 am
The guided walking tour starts from Trafalgar Sq. and will take you through some of London’s most important streets passing Horseguards Parade, Carlton Gardens, The Mall, and our favorite London park, St. James. Park, from which you can see Buckingham Palace, the habitual residence of the Queen of England.
London Hop on Hop off Bus Tour Route Map
We hope you enjoy your trip to London!